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Oman / A'Dakhliyah / Nizwa Nizwa was host to the 24th National Day celebrations in 1994, held in the Youth Complex that is located in Seih al Kuds. The complex covers 443,000m2 and has capacity for 15,000 spectators. Nizwa is a diverse, prosperous area, which has many agricultural, historical, governmental and recreational aspects. Nizwa Fort, located in the town proper, is an imposing structure; 24m high, with an external diameter of 43m and an internal diameter of 39m. This was the headquarters of the ruler of Nizwa and was built by the Imam Sultan bin Saif bin Malik al Ya'rubi. With its connections to the root of Islam, Nizwa has a number of important mosques, such as Nizwa Mosque, a Friday mosque heralded as a 'beacon of science'; So'al Mosque, built in the 2nd century AH; and the Al Shawadhana Mosque which is located in the district of Aqr. The Nizwa souq is situated next to the fort and was renovated in the 1990's, costing RO2.5million. The souq covers an area of around 7600m2 and consists of separate buildings housing the likes of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, dates, spices and handicrafts. The design of the souq compliments the fort in every way. It has been constructed using the same traditional materials, such as sarooj, a gypsum material which is burnt until it turns brown. In 1993, Nizwa won the 'Organisation of Arab Cities' award. There are around 90 afalaj in the area, the most important being Falaj Daris. The Wadi Tanuf Dam, completed in 1989, is designed to increase the supply of subterranean water which feeds the afalaj of Daris and Tanuf. The increased supply has led to an expansion in the agricultural area. The dam is 135m long and is located on the watercourse of Wadi Tanuf which is famous in the Middle East for its mineral water. Although Nizwa is a modern city, parts of the wilayat, in particular, the Jebel al Akhdar region are still inaccessible. The inhabitants of these areas receive provisions and building materials brought to them by the Armed Forces. There is also a 'flying doctor' who provides medical services. |
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